My 1st Sprint Triathlon American Fork Ice Breaker

I completed my first Sprint Triathlon!

My bike was still in a box at 6 pm Friday night before the race. Vince came over with a bike stand and tool set and assembled the bike while I watched. It has been over 25 years since I last took apart a bicycle and reassembled it. I started to remember and tried to help as best that I could. We got stuck trying to configure the derailers. I had arranged for John, a neighbor and cycling coach to come over and help fit me to the bike.

We arrived at the American Fork Recreation Center and I realized that I had forgotten my helmet! We rushed to Walmart to buy a helmet and returned to see that the bike racks were almost full. I picked up my packet, got my number drawn on my arm, 603 and my age on my right calf. I was waiting in line at the pool when I realized that I had forgotten to pick up my chip. I was finally ready and got back in line to wait my turn to start swimming.

I struggled with my swimming again. It was a strange experience walking into a large white marshmallow like structure to swim. The lighting was a little surreal but hey, the water wasn't ice cold! The swim lanes were set up so that each swimmer went to the end and swam under the lane and started back up the next lane. I started swimming and all was fine except for when I noticed my googles leaked and I started feeling panic. I swam tarzan style (head out of the water) and slowed way down. I finished the swim and was frankly glad to have it finished.

I went out to transition and collect my bike. This was the first time that I had mounted my bike to ride it. We barely finished assembling it last night! I decided to go ahead an ride wearing my swim jammer. That suit doesn't provide any padding for those sensitive areas! While riding, I found it reassuring to name my bike "She-ba". She is fast and responsive and wanted to go a heck of a lot faster than I was prepared to go. I was frightend a few times because the bike was so responsive. I was worried about over correcting into another rider or take a slide on the asphalt. I've been riding a mountain bike for several years and it always took so much more effort to get up to speed. I struggled a few times with the pedals and the upper derailer failed to function. So I was stuck in the higher range of gears the entire ride. I lost my right contact during the ride and had to adjust to monocular vision. It always makes me feel weird. Overall, it was a lot easier to finish the bike ride than I expected.

The run was fun. I didn't experience any transition or brick. My legs felt great. I don't think I ran all that fast really, yet my average pace was 7:44! I took it easy again and once in a while I opened it up and started pushing a faster pace. I love running up hills! The last kick had me sprinting against a 17 year old girl. We both kept passing each other but in the end she shot passed me across the finish line.

Final Time: 01:17:05.33

Swim 300 M: 00:06:22.561

T1: 00:03:59.855

Bike 15 Miles: 00:39:47.187

T2: 00:02:29.214

Run 5K: 00:24:02.797

I met Ryan, my Triathlon coach soon after I crossed the finish line. He asked how I did in the race. I shared that I had panic in the pool again but the rest of the race went ok. I also saw Jared, who owns Papa Murphy's Pizza. Apparently, I had passed him on the cycling portion of the race but I didn't notice since I was so busy trying to stay on my bike. I saw Becca who was my first swimming instructor when I had decided I wanted to compete in triathlons. It turns out that I came in 2nd from my tri-class and received a medal because Rory had already been awarded a medal from another division placing.

I stretched out using Yoga and it felt sooooo good!! I felt all of the aches, soreness and pain subside. I talked to a chiropracter about my knee feeling a little strange. He suggested I get new shoes and ice it up for 25 minutes. Hmmm...I'm still kind of new to the "ice" on the muscles after a race. My knees are responding well to the stretching and don't hurt now.

I rode my bike home for another 20 miles. I met Rick Long, a BYU maintenance foreman on his way home too. We talked for most of the trip home. The seat shifted under me and almost caused me to crash. I stopped a little ways up a hill and tightend it down. I didn't manage to connect my other cleat into the pedal and fell on my left side. Ouch, scratches, bruises and wounded pride... It was fun and I feel great! Maybe I'll go out for another run. Ooops, can't! I have a huge honey-do list to finish!